Last month, SUNY Old Westbury’s entrepreneurial population had a chance to market their wares on Thursday, February 20th at the Power of Black Business Expo, another community strengthening event in honor of Black History Month. Hosted by the Center for Student Leadership & Involvement, Black-owned businesses were encouraged to use the opportunity to gain traction for their endeavors during common hour in the Campus Center Atrium. Students perused tables of various shops and services, ranging from clothing and jewelry to hair and nails. Two tables were able to give a brief overview of their merchandise and the experience hosting a pop-up shop on campus.
The Finest Touch (@thefinesttouch_ on Instagram) provides wig making, wig installations, closures, sew-ins and hair styling services in Brooklyn and Long Island, owned by Shylene Labardy, a freshman and Business Administration major, and Modesty Baugh, a freshman and Public Health major. Shylene mentions that the expo has been extremely helpful to the business, saying: “It brought me a lot of exposure, I definitely got a lot of followers on my Instagram, so it really helped me a lot.” The Final Touch lists their prices on the aforementioned Instagram, with methods of getting in touch for bookings.
Saint Inertia (@st.inertia on Instagram) is another business that benefited from the event, owned by Nutifafa Colly, a junior majoring in Management Information Systems. His streetwear-based clothing line, he says, “takes inspo from my surroundings, what I like, my culture…just [things that are] interesting.” He explains that the nature of the business expo has given him additional opportunities that wouldn’t have been accessible with his regular marketing as the Atrium became a hub for commerce this afternoon. The Saint Inertia Instagram boasts the eclectic designs of the shop, allowing a look into the artistic vision of its creator.
According to the Pew Research Center data from 2022, Black-owned businesses only comprise an estimated 3% of all registered businesses in the US. It is for this reason that putting a spotlight on these businesses and spending locally is an integral way of building community, an attribute that we strive to cultivate as a school both on and off campus.
